Black Roses
by Darkchilde
Summary: Cannonball finds out about Boomers past. This story is set right after the "Child's PlaY' saga


  
  
  
  
  
  
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The mentioned characters are not mine. They belong to Marvel. Please don't sue me. I own Dorothy though.   
  
  
Black Roses  
"Tabitha!" Sam yelled at his girlfriend. "You're NOT BEIN' FAIR!"   
  
"I am SO being fair, Sam Guthrie!" Tabitha screamed back, her eyes flashing with angry. "I SAW YOU!"   
  
"She's MAH FRIEND, Tabitha! Ah hug mah FRIENDS, especially the ones that Ah haven't SEEN in A LONG TIME!" The irritated blonde man snapped back, trying to keep a handle on his temper. But it had been a long couple of days, and he was tired. Tabitha screaming at him was not helping.   
  
They were currently fighting about Sam hugging Amara in greeting once they and the New Warriors were safely away from the Upstarts. For some reason, this had just infuriated Tabitha to no end, and she was letting her boyfriend know it.   
  
The couple was standing in the hallway, as far away from the other residents as they could be. This didn't stop the other two teams from hearing the shouting match.   
  
"SHE'S YOUR FRIEND?! YEAH RIGHT! GIRLS LIKE THAT DON'T JUST HAVE FRIENDS THAT ARE GOOD LOOKING GUYS!" Tabitha exploded at her boyfriend like one of her time bombs.   
  
Sam fisted his hands by his side, trying to keep himself from exploding at her verbally the way he wanted to.   
  
Sam Guthrie would never even think about hitting a woman; certainly not the one that he loved. He had a hard time fighting evil super villainess even. The thought of physically hurting Tabitha or any other woman never crossed his mind.   
  
And Tabitha knew that. Or, at least, he thought she knew that.   
  
"NO! No, don't hit me!" The small blonde screamed, her expression going from furious to afraid in less than two seconds. She cringed back violently, backing up until she was wedged between two walls.   
  
She stared at him with wide blue eyes, tears forming in her bright eyes and splashing down her cheeks. Her face was the color of milk, and even her hair seemed to be dulling. Her lips were turning purple, and she was shuddering violently.   
  
"Tabitha...what?" Sam asked, shocked. She thought that he was going to HIT her?   
  
"Please...please don't..." Tabitha whimpered, her eyes unfocused. It was like it wasn't his that she was seeing. Sam had to struggle to keep his stomach down, as he took a small step forward, reaching out his hand to her palm up. If it wasn't him that she was seeing, then who was it?   
  
"Tabitha?" He asked softly, terror taking control of his mind. What was wrong with her?   
  
She didn't answer him, just slipped down to the ground, wrapping her arms around her knee. The little blonde huddled even closer to the wall. Tabitha was shaking so hard that he was afraid that she was going to rattle her teeth right out of her head.   
  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, don't hit me, please don't hit me..." Tabitha begged softly, rocking back and forth. "Don't hit me daddy, don't hit me...I'll behave daddy, just don't hurt me anymore..."   
  
Sam stared at the small blonde in shock, his eyes tearing up as well. Gently, he reached out a hand to her again, afraid that it was going to force her deeper into her memories. But she didn't flinch to violently from it, and he touched her cheek gently.   
  
"Tabitha?" He asked, trying to sound as non-threatening as he could. "Tabitha what's wrong?"   
  
"Sam?" Her voice was so soft he could barely hear it. "What...I...gotta..."   
  
Tabitha scrambled to her feet, pushing him away. He fell on the ground, his eyes never leaving her retreating form. She sprinted away from him, and up the steps, her bare feet slapping against the wooden stairs.   
  
Sam swallowed hard, and stood up, staring at her back. He stood there for a long moment, too shocked to do anything. The hinges of the door creaked, and Sam looked behind him to see his younger sister Paige standing in the doorway.   
  
"Sam? Wha happened? Ah-I-heard Tabitha screaming?" What Paige didn't say was that she had heard her brother's girlfriend scream not to hit her. But Sam knew that was what she meant.   
  
"Ah...Ah don't know, Paige. But-somethin' is wrong with Tabitha-somethin' she ain't tellin' me." Sam said, turning from his sister to where Tabitha had disappeared.   
  
"Sam?" Paige asked, chewing on her lip. "Do you-do you remember Dorothy Rule?"   
  
"Yeah...she was a friend of yours wasn't she? What has that got to do with anything, Paige?" Sam asked, looking back over his shoulder at his younger sister.   
  
"Momma told me that Tabitha reminds her of Dorothy, Sam." Paige told her brother, like it explained everything.   
  
"So? Ah guess there a little alike...they're both blonde..." Sam didn't understand the point that his sister was trying to make.   
  
"No, Sam. Don't you remember? No, wait, you wouldn't. You were already gone to Xaiver's when we found out." Paige mused out loud, brushing a lock of hair back.   
  
"Found out, what?" Sam asked, exasperated with the way his sister was dancing around her point.   
  
"Dorothy's daddy use to beat her and her sisters up." Paige said, swallowing hard. Sam's eyes got huge, and he turned to look at her.   
  
"Oh mah...that's...that's horrible!" Sam cried. And then Paige's comment on their mother's comment on Tabitha and Dorothy clicked in his mind. "No...she was...Paige, Ah gotta go."   
  
Paige nodded, watching her brother run up the steps. She chewed her lips slightly, and wished silently that Tabitha would be all right. She hoped her brother could keep Tabitha from the same place that Dorothy fell to.   
  
Paige had always hated funerals.   



End file.
